Kobe Bryanton playingeffortless basketball

Sport is a global phenomenon with a strong emphasis upon “the thrill of victory” juxtaposed with the “agony of defeat.” Thus excellence in performance is most often measured with respect to wins and loses, which lead to team and individual rewards such as money, trophies and fame.

Elite athletes love their sport and desire to continually improve. These athletes, to varying degrees, also feel pressure from others to perform at a high level. This pressure comes from coaches, parents and fans, and from school and team officials. Coaches themselves feel pressure to see that their athletes perform at a high level so that their teams are successful since their job often depends on such success.

The Matrix is a result of the belief that, if you achieve the fame and fortune sport offers, you will be happy. Unfortunately, this is not true; it is a trick of the Matrix. You are familiar with many athletes as well as others that have all the fame, fortune and family that the Matrix tells them they need and they are still not happy or at peace. The beliefs of the Matrix do not work to bring you what you really want. There is a way Out of the Matrix of Sport –– and into the ZONE! First let's look at "mistakes," one of the traps of the Matrix.

How do you handle defeat? How do you handle success? Are you afraid to fail? What is failure? If you played to the best of your abilities and lost, is that failure? What is success? If you give it your all and play your very best and still lose, is that success? Are you always seeking approval of others? Are you out to beat the competition or to maximize your performance?

Likewise, how do you handle the pressure and the stress? Do you play and practice your sport out of love or fear? As you know from your own experience or that of others when you are performing at your very best – when you are in the zone – you are calm, without thought, things slow down and you feel invincible. While it seems that athletes cannot will themselves into the zone, learning to play relaxed and calm is a definite benefit. How to handle stress and to view it differently; and to be calm, to stay focused, to let go of the doubts, dis-beliefs and fears; and to be confident and to have fun is exactly what OMIZ teaches.

A fundamental mistake that athletes make is to focus on the outcomes and the need to win. You have no control over who wins and who loses. You only have control over your performance. Therefore, you are best served to focus on your performance and let go of the need to win. In this way, you focus your energy on what you can control rather than on what you can’t control. Thus, your energy is used to enhance your performance and is not wasted on what you have no control over. It is well known that athletes, who stay in the moment, focus on their performance and let go of the “need” to win end up winning more often.

This is the mental preparation that OMIZ specializes in. When things go poorly how can you right the ship? When thing go well, have you taken the time to identify what happened so that you can repeat it? How do you view yourself? How mentally prepared are you? And, how does all of this influence your performance . . . especially under the most challenging situations...especially in competition?

As an athlete, there are only two elements that you can control in competition – your performance and your mental approach. Your physical performance is impacted by your physical preparation and your mental preparation has a tremendous effect on how you prepare, as well as how you perform physically. This is significant because most athletes and coaches put a premium on the physical preparation and often neglect the mental preparation. Without the appropriate mental approach, all the physical preparation and ability in the world will not provide you with the experiences you really want.

As you move up through the various levels of competition, the difference in physical ability between players becomes less and less pronounced. In order to maximize your performance as you move up, you must focus on the mental preparation.

OMIZ is specifically designed to give you the right tools – through its principles and concepts – to prepare you mentally for your sport. These same tools will enable you to be a “true winner” in your biggest game – LIFE!

OMIZ teaches concepts and practices for mind training and for taking responsibility for your life. All of this leads to improved performance and more time in “The Zone.” The athletes and coaches who have taken this program tell us that they experience more calmness, focus and happiness and less stress in their lives on and off the courts and playing fields. Research we have conducted confirms this report.

OMIZ teaches you how to connect with your “Inner Guide,” leading to unlimited possibilities. Importantly, we show you how to look at your limiting beliefs, which are mostly subconscious and they drive your performance. Only by looking at your limiting beliefs without judgment and fear will they dissolve and free your mind so you connect with your Inner Guide more easily.

The OMIZ program concepts and practice principles are presented using a Keynote slideshow that includes numerous video clips from movies, documentaries and other sources. You are expertly taken through the material keeping you entertained, enthused and excited for more.

Throughout the OMIZ presentation there are demonstrations, exercises, and worksheets used to make the concepts understandable, real and applicable to your game and life. Techniques taught include breathing, meditation and visualization. Mentoring and follow-up sessions help you incorporate the information into a daily practice. You receive a take-home package with material and resources to help your transformation once you leave the training. We encourage you to ask questions and to receive additional guidance via phone or social media.

OMIZ is a Program of Mental Training for Sport Performance offered to athletes from the ages of 13-14 through the Professional ranks and to their coaches. It is offered to both teams and individuals in a few different packages with flexible scheduling and flexible hours.

The basic OMIZ program is offered as an 8 or 10-hour workshop presented over a 2-4 day period for teams (both athletes and coaches). The time length is depended upon the age of the players. Shorter sessions are also available, as well as advanced sessions and individual mentoring sessions. There are programs specifically designed for coaches and a shorter program just for parents.

All of the OMIZ programs focus on the mental aspect of sports, which the most important aspect, regardless of your chosen sport. It's what makes the difference between a top ranked player and an exceptional player, between being among the best and being better than the best, between having an experience of the ZONE and playing in the ZONE. Every athlete that plays at this level will tell you the same thing –– the mental is far more important than the physical. OMIZ believes it can be taught and learned.